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Recent research from the Association of Investment Companies suggests that 78% of investors plan to make use of their ISA allowance this year. 40% plan to use only the shares element , representing a 1% rise since last year, while just over a quarter plan to use both their cash ISA and investment ISA allowance, again representing a 1% increase on the previous year. more

A recent survey conducted by NS&I indicates that the demographic of ISA savers has undergone quite a few changes in recent years. A survey of over 1,200 UK adults revealed some interesting insights into the behavior of savers in the past few years. more

Solar thermal energy 'attracting investors'

21 January 2008 / by None

Solar thermal energy is attracting investment interest as it offers a cheap way of utilising the sun's energy to generate electricity, it has been claimed.

The technology uses principles similar to that of traditional power plants in that it uses mirrors that reflect the sun's rays to heat water and drive turbines, reports the Financial Times.

The lack of silicone makes this a relatively cheap technology which is proving attractive to investors such as Google which has just announced a substantial investment, the report continues.

As part of its move toward green technologies, the company announced they will be investing $25 million (£12.7 million) into environmentally-friendly projects.

$10 million of this has gone into eSolar, a Californian company specialising in solar thermal energy, as part of Google's promise to use some of its profits to "develop renewable energy cheaper than coal".

In related news, the Guardian reports that China, one of the fastest growing and most polluted economies, may not be a major market for solar power equipment makers for some years yet.